Aug. 11th, 2014

The Cinder-Fellow (OMC/OMC | G | 11,171 words): This is a wonderful retelling of the Cinderella story with a male Cinderella named Allen. It's sweet and romantic with a dash of light-hearted whimsy that just makes it a joy to read. It's also a crossover with Mercedes Lackey's Five Hundred Kingdoms, but I was able to read and understand the story just fine without any knowledge of the Five Hundred Kingdoms series. (Probably if you are familiar with that series though, it will make this story even more delightful.)

Excerpt:The Ella Cinders looked critically at herself in the mirror, and Elena looked critically at her. Under the smudges, which the girl was dabbing at with her moistened sleeves, she was – not exactly beautiful. By no means was she ugly, of course – the Tradition would not have an ugly Ella Cinders – but her nose was a bit sharp, her cheekbones a bit prominent, her chin a bit strong for what was considered beauty anywhere in the Five Hundred Kingdoms.

Then the girl went over to the hedges at the side of the yard, lifted her skirts, and....

"Oh, dear," said Godmother Elena.

"Exactly," said Randolf, returning to the mirror. "As I said, we have a problem."

"You're certainly right about that," murmured Elena. No wonder the Tradition was all riled up! How had Godmother Bella missed this essential fact about this Ella Cinders? And what was she supposed to do with a...with a Cinder-Fellow?